Page 78 of Falling For You

Her voice was barely there.

"I died when Sydney died. Everything after that was just finishing what needed to be done."

"Look at me." I waited until she did. "You got him. He's done. He's going to be arrested whether he goes off this balcony or walks off it." I took another step. "Someone should have listened to you a long time ago. I'm sorry that nobody did. I'm listening now. And there's one more man out there who did this to your sister, who is walking free right now. I need your help to find him, Daphne. I can't do it without you."

Daphne stood there with the gun shaking in her hands. I could feel Jeremy behind me, standing steady with his gun drawn on her.

For a while, I didn't know if any of what I'd said had gotten through. Then Daphne closed her eyes and nodded. The revolver slipped from her hand and hit the concrete. Jeremy kicked it clear.

I holstered and walked toward her. She met me halfway and before I could reach for her wrists she fell into me, arms around my neck, her whole weight coming down like something had finally let go.

Jeremy's gun came up on Daphne.

I waved him off.

"I'm sorry." Daphne broke apart against my shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." I held her and stroked her hair. She shook against me and I let her. Below us, sirens were building on the boulevard and the faint sound of a crowd being pushed back from the building drifted up through the wind.

When her breathing slowed, I leaned back enough to see her face.

"Daphne, I have to take you in. We'll talk about all of this properly. Will you let me do that?"

She nodded.

I was reaching for my cuffs when the door slammed open. Doug came through with his weapon drawn. Brandon came right behind him. They swept past us and drew on Lockwood.

"On the ground!" Lockwood lowered himself to his knees, hands still up.

"Preston Lockwood, you are under arrest for sexual assault and involuntary manslaughter." Brandon cuffed him on the concrete.

Doug turned to the three of us. "Anyone hurt?"

"We're good." I turned back to Daphne. "I have to do this now."

She held her wrists out. I cuffed her and walked her back inside.

Ground level was coming back to life. The alarm had been silenced and people were slowly filtering back into the building as casino staff herded them through the main entrance. Patrol cars lined the east driveway. Three engines and a ladder truck from Station 110 were staged along the curb. Wyatt and the guys were near the truck with their helmets off and their turnout coats unzipped.

Zeus was standing at the edge of the driveway with his hands clasped behind his back. I caught Jeremy's eye and nodded. He took Daphne's arm gently and walked her toward the nearest unit. She went without resisting.

I walked over to Zeus. He watched Jeremy put Daphne in the unit, then turned to me.

"You connected five burglaries to three homicides and a sexual assault, identified the suspect, located her at a secondary employer, and brought her in the same night the warrant came through." He let that sit. "That's excellent detective work, Walsh."

"Thank you, sir."

"How many patrol investigation hours do you have left to do?"

"Eight."

He nodded. "I'm already looking forward to having you on my team. When you need the recommendation, come to me. I'll write it myself."

"Thank you, sir."

He squeezed my shoulder and walked over to Doug, who was putting Lockwood into the back of a patrol car.

Wyatt was there before Zeus was out of earshot. He'd been watching from the side. He stopped in front of me, still in his turnout coat, smelling like sweat and someone else's building.